They ain’t our kind

One day, Jesus and his little group of close disciples were walking down a dusty road headed for Capernaum. (Mark 9:33) For whatever reason, the boys got into a somewhat heated discussion as to who would be greatest in the kingdom of God.  Surely one thought, because I pray more than the other guys, I must be closer to Jesus.  Another, because of  all the people he had had the opportunity to introduce to Jesus,  thought he must have a closer relationship.  Back and forth they argued.  It’s not clear if they gave any consideration to whether or not Jesus was within hearing of their discussion. The more they walked, the more agitated they became. 

Apparently, when they came to the house where they were to stay,  and as they approached closer to Jesus, they allowed the argument to cease.  We are quite certain it was an argument because Jesus asked them, “what were you arguing about on the road.” The Bible says “they were silent.”  Either out of shame, or embarrassment,  they had nothing to say.

Jesus, knowing their hearts,  and full well their intentions, sit them down in a group. Never acknowledging that He knew what they were arguing about, He simply said, “if anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all, and a servant.”  Then calling a small child to Him, he told them if they welcomed a little child, it was the same as if they welcomed Him.  We accept children as they are, because we know they are not grown, and do not understand the things adults understand.   Even though they make mistakes, and do and say foolish things, we love them anyway. 

I believe what He was trying to tell the disciples was, that there is no reason to argue about who is best, who has won the most souls, or prays the longest.  He was saying that we need to accept each other, just as we are, and not try to exalt ourselves.  We should accept each other as a child of God,  knowing none of us is perfect or has all the answers. 

The disciples immediately changed the subject.  “Oh by the way, we saw someone casting out devils in your name, and we told him to stop because he was not of our group”.  “He wasn’t our kind, not of our denomination, or ministry, and we decided you would want us to stop him”.  You would think Jesus would have been proud of the boys.  After all, here was some no name individual, that had the audacity to think he could speak in the name of Jesus, and see his work approved, or his prayers answered.  Perhaps Jesus, looking deep inside, where only He could see, knew that the disciples  still believed that their group was the one and only way for the Gospel to be spread.

Jesus said something so profound, that I think we overlook the meaning.  “Don’t forbid them to speak,” he said, “If they are not against us, they are on our side.”  Just because they don’t belong to our group, doesn’t mean they can’t reach the world with the Gospel message.  In ways that we may never understand, our Heavenly father calls people into different methods of ministry to get the message out.  Some reach the suit and tie crowd, others minister to the homeless on the street.  There are those that are called to reach the group that only accepts people on a particular brand of motorcycle, and some can go into hardcore, one-percent clubs, that most people want to avoid.

The plain simple truth is, that there are many members of this body of Christ.  Just because they are not of our group, doesn’t mean that they can’t be effective for Jesus.  We need to keep the Main Thing, the Main Thing. The main thing is that we are all working to win souls into the kingdom of God.  We can’t afford to have the secular biker see dissention  in  the Body of Christ. Our ministry, according to Paul, is the reconciliation of the lost to God.  But it is also to bring together the Body of Christ, so that as a collective body, we can reach into all the world with the Gospel message.  We can’t spend our time worrying about what some other group is, or is not doing.  We must do what God has called us to do, in the manner He has called us to do it.

In the Wind,

Double D